1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an information processing apparatus which is connected to a Web server and is equipped with a Web browser for displaying an operation screen provided by the Web server, a control method of the information processing apparatus, and a program for causing a computer to perform the control method of the information processing apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
It is known that an information processing apparatus such as a PC (personal computer) or the like is connected to a Web server on a network and an operation screen provided by the Web server is displayed on a Web browser of the information processing apparatus.
In such a case, the Web browser of the information processing apparatus makes a request to the Web server for the operation screen. Then, in response to the request from the information processing apparatus, a Web application on the Web server transmits, to the information processing apparatus, an HTML (Hyper Text Markup Language) file for displaying the operation screen on the Web browser. Subsequently, the Web browser of the information processing apparatus analyzes the received HTML file, and thus displays the operation screen based on the description of the analyzed HTML file.
Further, if a user inputs an instruction through the operation screen displayed on the Web browser, the Web browser notifies the Web server of the input instruction. Then, the Web application on the Web server, which received such a notification, performs a process according to the input instruction.
Recently, among various kinds of MFPs (multi function peripherals) each of which has a scanner and a printer, there are the MFPs each of which is equipped with the above-described Web browser. Under the circumstances, each of the MFPs displays the operation screen provided by the Web server by using such a procedure as described above on its Web browser to accept various instructions from the user.
Further, a technique as disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2006-127503 has been proposed. Namely, in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2006-127503, an operation screen for inputting an instruction to use each function of an MFP is provided by a Web server. That is, a user of the MFP inputs the instruction to the MFP through the operation screen displayed on a Web browser of the MFP. Then, the input instruction is notified to the Web server by the Web browser of the MFP.
Subsequently, the Web server which received such a notification makes a request to the MFP for performing various processes according to the contents of the instruction input by the user. Then, the MFP, which received the request, performs the requested process. Thus, it is unnecessary to hold, in the MFP, all menu data for operating the MFP. Moreover, it is possible to easily change the menu data on the Web server.
In the meantime, an MFP, which operates as changing over an operation mode between a normal power mode and a power saving mode of which the power consumption is smaller than that in the normal power mode, is known (for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open NO. 2008-205714). In the MFP like this, if the MFP is not used for a long time, power supply to each processing unit is stopped. Thus, it is possible to bring about an effect of power saving.
Here, as disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2008-205714, if a user intends to perform a job by the MFP which is in a state of the power saving mode, a process to return the operation mode to the normal power mode is performed after a process request is received by the MFP. For this reason, since a time for returning the operation mode to the normal power mode is necessary after the user instructs to perform the process, there is a problem that a start of the job is often delayed.
In particular, as disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2006-127503, if the user instructs to perform the process through the operation screen displayed on the Web browser, the Web server detects the instruction of the user, and then the Web server requests the MFP to perform the process. Thus, it further takes a long time from the user's instruction of the performance of the process to the actual start of the performance of the job.